Hives (also known as “uricaria,” welts, or nettle rash) are raised, itchy rashes that appears on the skin. Hives are usually caused by an allergic reaction; if you’re suffering from hives, you may have eaten something that you are allergic to, or used a health or beauty project that caused you to react. Mental and emotional stress can also cause a breakout of hives. While they are uncomfortable, hives are not necessarily difficult to get rid of, whether by lifestyle changes, dietary changes, or by treating your skin directly. However, if you are experiencing severe symptoms related to hives, natural-care methods should never take the place of emergency medical care.

Steps

Method1

Avoiding Your Triggers and Other Causes

1

Identify any foods that may have caused your allergy. Hives are most often caused by an allergic reaction, and food allergies are a common type of allergen.[1]

Check if you’ve eaten any new foods that you could have a previously unknown allergy to.

If the hives are recurring or you’re concerned about a food allergy, you should see your doctor.

2

Identify any body-care products that could have caused your allergy. If you doubt that a food allergy caused you to break out in hives, the reaction may have been caused by a chemical ingredient in a product. Check to see if you have started using a new:

Shampoo or conditioner.

Body soap or body wash.

Medicine, such as aspirin or penicillin (as these can also produce a reaction that causes hives).[2]

3

Reduce the daily amount of stress in your life. Frequent stress can also cause an outbreak of hives.

If you identify specific stressors (especially if your stress developed around the time that your hives broke out), try to eliminate the stressors.[3] These stressors could be related to your personal life or work life, relationships, lifestyle, etc.

To reduce stress, increase the amount and quality of your nightly sleep, and spend more time exercise daily.

Also eat a more balanced diet, and take time during your daily schedule to relax and think positively about your life.

4

Check yourself for injuries. Infections that result from poorly healed injuries can sometimes cause your body to break out in hives—this does not mean that the hives will break out on the infected area itself.[4]

An infection—internal or external—in any part of your body could be responsible for your breakout of hives.

To examine yourself, examine every part of your body in detail. Keep in mind that injuries sustained months ago—which could appear healed—may be internally infected.

If you have reason to suspect an internal injury or infection, you should talk to your doctor.

5

Move on to treating the hives directly. Ultimately, you may not be able to determine the specific food or product that caused your hives. Hives can be caused by nearly any allergen, including sunlight, dust, and medications.[5]

If you cannot identify a specific allergen, don’t waste too much time investigating other allergens.

Method2

Using Antihistamines to Get Rid of Hives

1

Take naturally occurring antihistamines. Naturally occurring antihistamines will help relieve the discomfort caused by hives. Antihistamines will also diminish the amount of fluid under your skin (which is what causes the visual bumps associated with hives).

There are plenty of herbal antihistamine capsules available at health-food stores or drug stores.

Method3

Taking Care of your Skin

1

Stay out of the heat. Heat itself can often cause a break of hives. Even if the heat did not cause your hives directly, it can still exacerbate the hives and increase the amount of discomfort that they cause.

If you are outdoors, go inside as soon as possible.

If you are engaging in physical activity, stop what you’re doing, sit down, and rest.

2

Don’t wear tight-fitting clothing. Extra snug clothes—especially shirts and pants—will not only rub against your hives and cause them to itch more, but they’ll also be more likely to irritate your skin and cause hives in the first place.

Administer Aloe Vera. Aloe Vera can commonly be found in lotions and skin creams, and it will help relieve the itchy discomfort from your hives. The aloe will also reduce the inflammation of the hives themselves.

If you have access to an aloe plant, you can apply the leaves to your skin directly. To do this, cut the aloe leaf in half, then apply the clear gel directly onto the hives. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse with cold water.[10]

4

Take a cool bath. For most cases of hives, the temperature of cool bath water will relieve the symptoms of discomfort.[11]

The cool bath will also shrink the blood vessels near the surface of your skin. This will cause them to leak less fluid into the hives, and will consequently reduce the size of the hives.[12]

You can use bathing additives to relieve the itchy feeling of hives. Oatmeal is an especially effective bath additive; grind up 2 cups of oatmeal in your blender, and then add the ground oatmeal to your bath water.